Originally Posted by
Local Rules
Have to agree the red card was one of the most baffling decisions I have seen in many years. It looked pretty obvious that the Lambton play was to see if they could get the Maitland players off the field and accept they would get a yellow card. The plan worked with Goodman a passenger for the better part of the first half and Melmeth taken off after the send off. It must be said that if the foul on Goodman was called and Pappas yellow carded for that then the melee doesn't start. The blame for this rests squarely on both the assistant referees and referee. The inconsistency in officiating across the first 20 minutes was what caused the blow up. Pappas got a yellow for the studs up challenge which caused Melmeth to go off and should have had a second for simulation because if the hit from Thomas put him on his butt he better beware of falling leaves.
I don't know what Virgilli was thinking getting up in the faces of the Maitland players after the win. When you have played most of the game with ten men, and only get beat 1-0 (it was a well worked goal) there was always going to be bad feeling. Accept the win and move on but obviously ego outweighed common sense.
